Mechanism for operating elevator-doors.



No. 699,305. Patented May '6, |902.

c. B. GILMoRE.

MECHANISM FR QPERATING ELEVATOR DOORS.

(Application led Oct. 19, 1901.\

S-Sh-eets-Sheet I.

* ooll 'illl "'HIN..

Nu. 699,395. Patented May 6, |992.

c. B. GILMo'nE. MECHANISM FUR OPERATING ELEVATOR DOORS.

(Applicaticn led Oct. 19, 190 l.)

(llo Model.) Y 7 5 Sheelts-Sheat 2.

l, Q) `\\\\\r k. m\z\\ No. 699,305. Patented May 6, |902.

C. B. GILMORE.

MECHANISM- FOR OPERATING ELEVATORl DOORS.

(Application filed Oct.. 19, 1901.)

(Elo Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3.v

#mer

Patented May 6, |902.

C. B. GILMDBE. MECHANISM FOR OPERATING ELEVATOR DOORS.

(Application led Unt, 19, 1901.)

` 5 sham-sheet 4,

(No Model.)

Patented May 6, |902.

C. B. GILMORE. MECHANISM FOR OPERATING ELEVTOR DOORS.

(Application led Oct. 19, 1901.)

(No Model.)

' .Nitric STATES' CHARLES neILMORIt, or oI-IIOAGO, ILLINOIS, AsSIeNOR 'IOTIIR WINSLOW BROS. oo., orl oIIIoAeo, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS.

MECHANlSlVI lFOR OPERATING ELEVATORDOORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 699,305, dated May 6, 1902.

Application filed October 19,1901. Serial No. 79,193. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES B. GILMORE, a citizen ofthe United States of America, residing at Chicago,in the countyof Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanism for Operating Elevator-Doors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relatesto certain improve Io ments in mechanism for operating elevatordoors,this apparatus being especially adapted for operating a number of elevator-doors located one above the other, as is common in elevator structures.

I5 One of the objects of this invention is to obviate the necessity of having a continuously-rotating shaft, which has hithertobeen frequently used to actuate mechanically-operated doors, and especial attention has been zo given to provide means for rotating the shaft only when a door is to be operated, the shaft remaining stationary at all other times, and thereby doing away with any unnecessary noises attendant upon revolving shafting, es-

pecially when they become loose in the bearings or require oiling.

To this end the invention pertains to certain novel features of construction and arrangement, a description whereof will be 3o found inthe following specification, and the essential features definitely pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings furnished herewith, Figure 1 is a fragmentary front view of an elevator inclosure, a movable door, the mechanism for intermittently revolving the shaft, and the apparatus connecting the door with the shaft to be moved thereby. Fig. 2 is a cross-section in line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. is a plan 4o View Ot' the shaft-operating mechanism. Fig. 4 is a view partly in front elevation and partly in vertical longitudinal section, the line ot' section being indicated at 4 4 in Fig. Fig. 5 is a detail vertical longitudinal section in line 5 5 of Figs. S and 6. Fig. G is a detail vertical cross-section in line G (5 oi' Figs. 3 and 5. Fig. 7 is a detail side View of a clutch seen in Figs. and G. Fig. 8 is a detail vertical section in line S S of Figs. 10 and 12.

5o Fig. 9 is a similar section in line 9 9 of Fig. 12. Fig. 10 is a horizontal section in line 10 10 of Figs. 8 and 12. Fig. 1l is a side View of a portion of a Wire or cable connected to the shaft-operating mechanism and an arm Y adapted to actuate the same, the parts in front thereof beingremoved in the line 11 1l of Figs. 8 and 10. Fig. 12 is a side view of the parts seen in Figs. 8 to 11, partly in vertical section, the line ot' section being indicated at 12 12 in Figs. 1 and S. Fig. 13 is a similar View '6o with the door fully open. Fig. 14 is a central vertical cross-section in line 14 14 of Fig. 8. Fig. 15 isa View partly in plan and partlyin horizontal section, the line of section being indicated at 15 15 in Fig. 8. Fig. 1G is a. hori- 65 zontal section in line 1U 16 of Fig. 13. Fig. 17 is a detail vertical section in line 17 17 of Fig. 12. Fig. 18 is a face View of the parts seen in Fig. 17, and Fig. 19 is a plan View of a ring used in the clutch upon the shaft. 7o

Referring first to Fig. 1, A represents a portion of an elevator inclosure, A A2 A3 the upright members of the frame thereof, and A4 the transom supported upon the uprights. The door is seen at B hung upon door-hangers Z) Z2', running upon a track a, which is supported on the uprights A A2 A3-in the ordinary manner.` The door moves from a position in front of the opening a in the inclosure to a. Yposition between the uprights A3 A2 8o and back, and said movement of the door is `controlled by the elevator' operator, each door in the series located one above another being operated by the same shaft and each independently of each other. 8 5

Adjacent to the upright Agis a shaft C, extending from top to bottom of the building, or at least past all of the doors inthe series, and connected either at its lower or upper end with a Inechanism for rotating said shaft 9o when a door is to be opened and closed by this apparatus. The drawings show the shaft Y connected at its upper end to this mechanism in Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive, where said shaft will be seen to have-a pinion c secured upon its end, meshing with a rack-bar D, adapted to be reciprocated back and forth once in the opening and closing of a door. Said rackbar is slidingly mounted upon a shaft d and connected at one end to a link cl', the other Ioc end of which is connected to an arm di, car- Tho gear d"s m eshcs ried by a beveled gear d3.

by arms e e6 upon a shaft e7.

with a pinion d4 upon a shaft d5, journaled in bearings d dl d8, and this shaft is adapted to be alternately rotated in either direction by two pulleys E E', which are driven in opposite directions by suitable belting. (Not shown in the drawings.)

The pulleys E E' are both loose upon the shaft d5 and are thrown into engagement therewithby clutches, shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7 as consisting, preferably,of plates E2 E3,fast upon the shaft, friction-shoes e e', guided in said plates, and devices for throwing them into engagement with the pulleys. The shoes are spring-pressed in one direction and are forced outward bybell-crank levers c2 e3, one of the arms of which rests against a collar c4, which encircles the hubs of the plates E2 E3 and is moved back and forth upon said hubs Said shaft el carries an arm c8,by means of which the shaft is rocked, and a spring ei tends to draw said arm in one direction, while a rod f, connected to it and to certain .of the operating mechanism hereinafter explained,resists this tension. Said rod is connected to a bell-crank lever f', from which extends a wire or cable F, adjacent to the shaft C, passing by all of the doors in the series and actuated by certain mechanism hereinafter described. Upon the rod f are secured two buttons f2 f3, between which plays an arm dg, fast upon the rack-bar D and adapted to engage said buttons near the end of the stroke of the rack-bar in either direction to throw the pulleys E E out of working engagement with the shaft The normal position of the arm es is shown in the drawings, and in this position neither of the pulleys E nor E is in Working engagement with the shaft. When, however, a door is to be opened, the wire or cable F is drawn downward through the operating mechanism at any of the doors in the series and the lever e8 drawn to the right in Figs. 3 and 4, bringing the pulley E into working engagement with the shaft, and

consequently rotating the arm cl2 in the direction of the arrow in said ligure, the shaft C in turn being rotated by the rack-bar D. As the door reaches its open position the arm CZ strikes the button f2, which has been moved to the right in Fig. 3 by the action of the cable F, and throws the pulley E/ out of engagement with the shaft (Z5, thereby stopping the movement of the door. The movement of the rodf, caused by the engagement of the arm df with the button f2, is permitted because of a certain amount of elasticity in the shoe or other mechanism upon the elevatorcar, through which the cable F is drawn downward.

The wire or cable F is drawn downward by au arm G striking a button f5 upon the cable F, Figs. 9, 10, and 11, said arm being fast upon a rock-shaft g, journaled in the side plates h'h' of a bracket IfLsecured to the upright A2. Upon the other end of the rockshaft is a second arm g', lying in the path of a lever I, pivoted upon the bracket I-I and adapted to be actuated by a shoe or other operating mechanism upon the elevator-car. A spring h2, secured upon the bracket H, returns the lever from the position in which the shoe forces it, Fig. 13, to the position seen in Fig. 12. The bracket H contains holes h3, in which the rock-shaft g may be journaled and the arm g' inverted to be struck above its pivot by the lever I, thereby raising the arm G and drawing the wire or cable F upward. This is done when the shaft-operating mechanism is located below the doors instead of above them, as is the caseshown in the drawings. Referring now to Figs. 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, and 16, the bracket H will be seen to have a downward extension H', encircling the shaft C and upon which is a vertically-movable sleeve J, spring-pressed in one direction by a spring j. Said sleeve has an upwardly-extending lugj, lying in the path of a cam-block upon the lever I and adapted to be depressed by said cam-block when the lever I is engaged by the shoe upon the elevator-car. Below the sleeve .I and extension H is a cup-shaped collar K, loose upon the shaft C, but adapted to be rotatively connected therewith, as hereinafter explained, and between this collar and the sleeve J is interposed a washerj2 (see also Figs. 17 and 18) to take up the friction between the collar K and the sleeve J, the springj, above referred to, being seated in the collar K and bearing upon a second collar M. The collar M is fast upon the shaft C and rotates therewith, and said collar contains holes fm m near its edge, into which extend pins k 7s', secured in the collar K, said pins being of such length as to pass entirely through the collar M and into a ring N, thereby rotatively connecting the ring N with the shaft C when the collar K is forced down upon the collarM by the lever I. The ring N is connected to a double spool O O', loose upon the shaft C and resting upon a collar P, secured thereto. Said spool carries two steel ribbons o o', wound thereupon in opposite directions and leading to the sides of the elevator-door. Immediately above the door is a bar R, secured to the door-hangers and extending slightly beyond the door, where the steel ribbons o o pass through blocks rr' upon the ends thereof, beyond which the ribbons have blocks r2 r3 upon their ends,between which and the blocks r r are springs r4 T5, adapted to take up any sudden jar upon the door at the commencement of the movement of the samein eitherdirection. The rotation of the spool in one direction winds up one of the ribbons and unwiuds the other, thus drawing the door in one direction, while the rotation of the spool in the other direction draws the door back. The ring N is'locked to the spool O O by pins o5, Fig. 18, so as to make the spool rotate with the ring when the latter is rotated 5 but it is sometimes necessary that the ring be disconnected from the spool, so as to permit the door to be opened by hand without necessarily rotating the IOO IIC

shaft. The spool-may readilybe disconnected by withdrawing the pin o6 from/it.

In Fig. I2 the parts are in their normal positionthat is, with the door closed.

In Fig. 13 the lever I has been swung to the left byashoe or other operating device upon the elevator-car and the door moved into an open position. As soon as the lever is released the spring h2 returns the same to the position seen in Fig. 12. The releasing of the lever I starts the shaft-operating mechanism to close the door; but the return of the lever I moves the cam-block t" off the -lugj' on the sleeve J, which makes it necessary to provide means for keeping the spools in rotatable connection with the shaft while the door is closing.

Looking at Figs. 9, l2, 13, and 14C a weighted dog S will be seen, the tendency of the weight being to swing the dog toward the shaft. Said dog is pivoted to the bracket H at s and has a shoulder s', adapted to rest upon the upper edge of the sleeve J, Fig. 13, and a fiuger s2, lyingin the path of a cam-block T (see also Fig. 16) upon the top of an arm t, secured to the bar R. The weighted dog S holds the sleeve J down against the action of the spring j after the lever I is released and until the door comes to a closed position, when the cam -block T engages the finger s2 of the weighted dog S and swings the shoulder s' out of engagement with the sleeve J, permitting the spring j to lift the sleeve and collar K, withdrawing the pins la k from the ring N and disengaging the spool from the shaft and permitting the shaft to be rotated to open or close other doors in the series Without affecting this door.

The door is locked in its closed position by a pin or screw j, secured in the sleeve J and engaging a notch t5 in the arm, Figs. 9 and 14. The pin or screw j is released from the notch when the sleeve J is forced down by the lever I and permitted to enter the notch when the sleeve is released by the dog S and the door fully closed.

The operation of the device is as follows: The shaft-operating mechanism being in the position shown in Figs. l and 3 and the pulleys E E' rotating as indicated by the arrows thereon, the lever I may be swung from the position seen in Fig. l2 to that in Fig. 13, either by a shoe or other suitable mechanism upon an elevator-car. At the commencement of the movement of the lever I the cam-block t" :forces the sleeve J down and connecting the collar with the ring N, thereby rotatively connecting the spools O O with the shaft C.

It will be understood that all of the other arm g', and consequently draws thewire or cable F downward through the engagement of the arm G with the button f5 and moves the rod f to the right in Figs. 3 and 4, throwing the clutch E3 into engagement with the pulley E and swinging the arm d2 in the directionindicated and, by means of `the link d', rack-barD, and pinion c, rotates the shaft C, winding up the ribbon o upon the spool and unwinding the ribbon othus opening the door. When almost open, the arm d, Fig. 3, strikes the button f2 on the rodf and disconnects the clutch E3, thereby stopping the movement of the rack-bar D. p When the door is to be closed, the lever Iis released, which permits the spring e to throw the clutch E2 into engagement with the pulley E, and the reversal of the movements above described then follows, until when the door is almost closed the arm d strikes the button f3 and throws the clutch F.2 out of engagement.

More or less alterations and modifications of the different parts is possible, and I do not therefore limit myself to the speciic details thereof.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. In a mechanism for operating elevatordoors, the combination with a slidable door and a normally stationary shaft connected thereto and adapted, by its rotation, to open said door, of shaft-rotatin g devices connected to said shaft and adapted to be set in motion at the will of the operator; substantially as described.

2. The combination with a slidable door and a normally stationary shaft connected thereto and adapted by its rotation in one direction to open said door and in the opposite direction to close the same, of devices for rotating said shaft in` both directions, and means for throwing said shaft-operating devices in action at the will of the operator; substantially as described. y

3. The combination with a slidable door and a normally stationary shaft adapted by'its rotation to open and close said door, of devices for rotating said shaft, means for throwing said devices into gear at will and devices for automatically throwing them out of gear when the doorcomes to an open or closed position; substantially as described.

4. The combination with aslidable door and a shaft connected thereto, and adapted by its rotation, to open the same, of a pinion upon said shaft, a rack-bar in mesh therewith, suitable devices for advancing said rack-bar to rotate said shaft and devices adjacent to the door adapted to throw the bar-advancing devices into gear at will; substantially as described. A i l '5. The combination with a slidable door and a shaft connected thereto andadapted by its rotation in one direction to open said door and in the opposite direction to close the same, of a pinion upon said shaft, a rack-bar mesh- IOO IIO

ingtherewith, devices for reciprocating said rack-bar to open and close a door and means for throwing said devices into gear at will; substantially as described.

6. The combination with a slidable door and a shaft adapted, by its rotation in one direction, to open said door, and in the other direction, to close the same, of devices for rotating said shaft, a clutch for throwing said devices into gear, and means upon the shaftrotating devices adapted to automatically release the clutch when the door cornes to an open or closed position; substantially as described.

7. The combination with a slidable door and a shaft connected thereto and adapted by its rotation to open said door, of a pinion on said shaft, a rack-bar, a rotatable arm connected to said bar and means for governing the rotation of said arm at the will of the operator; substantially as described.

8. The combination with a rotatable shaft, of a slidable door, a spool, a ribbon connected to the door and adapted to be wound upon the spool to open the door and suitable devices for throwing said spool into rotatable engagement with the shaft; substantially as described.

9. The combination with a shaft adapted to be alternately rotated in both directions, of a slidable door, a spool upon the shaft, ribbons connected to opposite sides of the door, and adapted to be wound upon the spool and suitable means for rotatably connecting the spool with the shaft at will; substantially as described.

10. The combination with a shaft adapted to be rotated in both direction-s and a slidable door, of a spool, loose upon said shaft, connecting devices between the door and spool a clutch fast upon the shaft, and suitable devices for throwing said clutch into working engagement with the spool; substantially as described.

11. The combination with a shaft extending vertically in the elevator-well, and a slidable door, of suitable devices upon the shaft operated thereby to open the door when rotated in one direction and to close the same when rotated in the opposite direction, of means for throwing said devices into working engagement with the shaft and for simultaneously starting the rotation; substantially as described.

l2. The combination with a normally stationarf,7 shaft, and a slidable door, of a spool loose upon said shaft, a flexible connection between said spool and one side of the door, a clutch upon the shaft, devices for rotating said shaft and a lever adapted to be actuated to throw said clutch into engagement with the spool and simultaneously start the shaftoperating devices; substantially as described.

13. The combination with a shaft and a slidable door, of a spool loose upon the shaft, iiexible connections between said spool and the sides of the door, whereby the rotation of the spool in one direction opens the door, and in the other closes the same, a clutch upon said shaft, mechanism for rotating said shaft in either direction, a lever for throwing said clutch into engagement with the spool and simultaneously starting the shaft-operating mechanism in the direction to open the door, devices whereby the release of said lever starts the shaft-operating mechanism in the other direction, and devices for keeping said clutch in engagement with the spool when said lever has been released and until the door is fully closed; substantially as described.

14. The combination with the shaft and a slidable door, of a spool loose upon said shaft, a flexible connection between said door, and the spool adapted to be wound thereupon in the closing of the door,mechanism for rotating the shaft, a lever for throwing said spool into engagement with the shaft, a dog for holding it in engagement therewith after the release of the lever until the door comes to a closed position, means for rotating the shaft and connections between said lever and the shaft-rotating mechanism, whereby the release of the lever starts said mechanism to close the door; substantially as described.

15. A rotatable shaft, a slidable door, a spool loose upon the shaft, a ribbon connecting the door with the spool, and adapted to be wound thereupon in the opening of the door, and a clutch upon the shaft adapted to rotatably connect the shaft with the spool; substantially as described.

16. A rotatable shaft, a slidable door, a spool loose upon said shaft adapted by its rotation to open and close said door, a clutch for throwing said shaft into engagement with the spool and devices for locking the door to the clutch when in a closed position, said devices being unlocked by the throwing of the clutch into engagement with the spool; substantially as described.

17. In a door opening and closing mechanism, the combination with a suitably-supported slidable door, of a rotatable shaft j ournaled adjacent thereto,suitable driving mechanism, connections between the shaft and the driving mechanism, adapted, when thrown into engagement, to rotate the shaft, connections between the shaft andthe door adapted to move the door by the rotation of the shaft when engaged with the latter, and means for simultaneously throwing the shaft-rotating connections into action and the door-moving connections into engagement with the shaft; substantially as described.

18. The combination with a suitable support, and a slidable door mounted thereon, of a rotatable shaft journaled adjacent to the door, connections between the shaft and the door normally out of engagement with the shaft, but adapted when in engagement therewith to move the door by the rotation of the shaft, suitable driving-gear, connections berol tween the driving-gear and the shaft, normaily out of action, but', adapted, when lhi'own into action, to rotate said shaft, and means forsimultaneously throwing said shaft-rotating connections into action and said doormoving connections into engagement with the shaft; substantially as described.

In Witness whereof I have hereuntosct my hand, at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, this 2d day of August,

ci-iAs. B. GILMoRE.

Vitnesses:

JOHN E. HAY, WM. VC. MULLER. 

